Coin operated vending machine



Nov. 10, 1964 J. H. ARKEs 3,156,340

COIN OPERATED VENDING MACHINE Filed May 3, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov.10, 1964 J. H. ARKES com OPERATED VENDING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 FiledMay 3, 1961 INVENTOR. Jac/5 Edf/65, Z074 Nov. 10, 1964 J. H. ARKEs,3,156,340

com oPERATED VENDING MACHINE f Filed May 3, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet I5 INVEN TUR.

HC] i 2 5 United States Patent O 3,156,340 COIN OPERATED VENDING MACHINEJack H. Arkes, '608 S. Dearborn St., Chicago 5, Ill. Filed May 3, 1961,Ser. No. 107,387 2 Claims. (Cl. 194-10) This invention relates to coinoperated vending machines and has for its principal object the provisionof a new and improved machine of this kind.

It is a main object of the invention to provide a coin operated machinefor vending selected ones of a plurality of articles in the machine oneat a time, which machine is of simple design that can be operated easilyby inexperienced customers and is capable of being kept in properworking condition with a minimum of maintenance.

Another object of the invention is to provide a coin operated vendingmachine in which there are a plurality of article receiving cages, amotor individual to each cage, and a manually operated switch forselecting said motors one at a time, thereby to select the article to bevended by operation of the motor responsive to the insertion of a coininto the machine.

Another object of the invention is to provide a coin operated vendingmachine that contains no ratchets, pawls and the like, that requirefrequent accurate mechanical adjustment to maintain the machine inproper working condition.

Another object of the invention is to provide, in a vending machine, amechanism for displaying the articles to be dispensed by the machine oneat a time in sequence, each for a predetermined interval, whichmechanism operates continuously so long as the machine is operative,thereby to build up customer interest in the articles.

Further objects of the invention, not specifically mentioned here, willbe apparent from the detailed description and claims which follow,reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which a preferredembodiment of the invention is shown by way of example and in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a preferred embodiment of theinvention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged scale view similar to FIG. 1, with the front ofthe device removed;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view similar to FIG. 2, partly in sectionalong the line 3 3 of FIG. l, looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary view of a base plate of the device;

FIG. 5 is a cross sectional View of a cage and base plate takensubstantially along the line 5-5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a plan view of a cage and the drive mechanisrn therefor, thecage being shown in section;

FIG. 7 is a schematic circuit diagram of the device;

FIG. 8 is an elevational view, partly in section, of a modifiedembodiment of the invention;

FIG. 9 vis a fragmentary plan view of the base plate shown in FiG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a plan view of the cage and base thereof shown in FIG. 8, thecage being shown in section;

FIG. 1l is a plan view 'of the dispensing disk of the embodiment shownin FIG. 8; l

FIG. 12 is a plan view of a modified form of dispensing disk;

FIG. 13 is a fragmentary plan view of a base plate upon which thedispensing disk shown in FIG. 12 will be mounted; and

FIG. 14 is a plan view of a cam disk of the type used with thedispensing disk of FIG. 12.

In its preferred form, the Vending machine is designed to dispensephotographic slide transparencies in cardboard mounts, althoughapplication of the teachings of the invention to machines for vendingother articles is contemplated.

Vending machines of the class to which this invention relates arelocated in public places that usually are some distance from theestablishment of the owner of the machines. The individual machines arevisited at regular intervals by a service man whose main function is toreplenish the stock of articles in the machine. Such service men are notmechanics and notwithstanding this they frequently attempt to makemechanical adjustments in machines which apparently need adjusting.Since these men are not qualiied to make such adjustments properly,malfunction or failure of the machine oftentimes results.

The present invention seeks to improve upon prior art machines of whichI am aware by providing a machine that requires no mechanicaladjustments to keep it functioning properly. This is accomplished in amachine designed to dispense a plurality of different articles byproviding a dispensing power supply for each article, each such supplybeing individual to one article. This eliminates the mechanical drivemechanism between a motor that -is common to a plurality of articles andthe dispensing means individual to the article. It is such mechanismsthat require mechanical adjustment from time to time to keep the machinefunctioning properly. Preferably this power supply consists of anelectric motor for each different article lin the machine. Thus, if themachine is designed to selectively dispense eight different articles,eight motors will be provided. Small and relatively inexpensive motorsofthe clock-motor type are readily available upon the open market andsuch motors have been found to be satisfactory for the intended purpose.The motors are connected to the associated dispensing means by a simplelinkage which requires no adjustment. Through this arrangement dirtycontacts in the electrical circuits of the machine are the only sourceof trouble. The service men who visit the machines regularly toreplenish the stock of articles therein are capable of cleaning thecontacts when cleaning is required. Thus malfunction or failure of themachine is less likely than in prior art machines.

Referring now to the drawings, in FIG. 1 it will be seen that thevending machine of the present invention is housed in a suitable cabinet1, on the front door 2 of which is located a Window 3 through whichsamples of the articles in the machine are visible. In the exampleshown, the articles are photographic slide transparencies. Aiiuoroescent lamp L1, FIG. 7, is mounted behind the articles to renderthem plainly visible through the Window 3. A starter S and a ballast BALare associated with a lamp L1 in the usual'manner.

Also located on the door of the machine is a manual switch 4 shown tohave eight positions, one for eachA of the eight articles in themachine, Located at the bottom of the door is a dispensing chute throughwhich the articles are delivered to the customer.

A coin chute 6 and a coin return receptacle 7 are also located on thedoor, as is a magnifying window 8 through which the articles are visibleone at a time in sequence, in slightly enlarged form.

As will be seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, within the cabinet, base plates 10 and11 are mounted upon suitable supports indicated generally at 9, each ofthese base plates supporting four cages, 12, 13, 14 and 15, beingsupported upon the plate 10 and located forwardly of the cages 16, 17,18 and 19 on the rear plate 11. Mounted rearwardly of the base plates 10and 11 and in substantial alignment therewith, are motor bases 20 and 21each of which has an upwardly extending tlange 22. at its rear edge. Themotor bases are xed in the cabinet in convenient manner, such as bycleats 23 xed on the side walls of the cabinet.

Located beneath the motor base 20 are four motors of which motor 25 isan example. The shaft of the motor projects through the motor base andsupports a cam disk 26 to Which a rod 27 is pivotally connected andextended to the cage 12 where it is also pivotally connected. Motor base21 also supports four motors 28 each equipped with a cam disk 29 towhich a rod 30 is pivotally connected and extended to the correspondingcage in the rear row of cages.

As will be seen in FIG. 4, the base plates 10 and 11 contain squareopenings which are four in number, one for each of the cages supportedupon the plate. Mounted upon the base plate and centered upon theopening therein, is the base 36 of the cage that is registered with thatopening. Suitable means, such as screws 37, tix the base upon the baseplate in such manner as to permit the base to rotate around its center.

Upstanding from the base 36 are three angles 38 which together support aplurality of articles 4G stacked in such manner that each article isrotated through with respect to the articles that are adjacent to it.The base 36 contains two square openings superimposed on each other androtated through 45 with respect to each other. Through this arrangementthe bottom article in the stack drops through the base 36 and issupported upon the base plate 10 and is offset 45 with respect to theopening 35 in the plate.

Projecting from one of the angles 38 of the cage is an arm 41 t-o whichone end of a rod 27 is pivotally connected. The disk 26 to which theother end of the rod 27 is connected contains two cam valleys 42 withone of which the spring assembly, indicatedl generally at 43, isregistered when the motor is at rest. The spring assembly 43 supportedupon the ange 22 of the motor base contains normally open springs A andnormally closed springs B and C.

Located above the cages 12 and 16 upon a suitable support is a motor 51the shaft of which carries a Geneva disk 52 that carries a pin whichengages the companion disk 53 to rotate the latter disk a denitedistance for each revolution of the disk 5 2. Connected to the disk 53through a suitable gear mechanism 54 is a display rack 55 that containsa number of spaces corresponding to the number of different articles inthe machine, the rack in the example shown containing eight such spaces.Mounted within the rack is` a lamp 56 that is lighted so long as themachine is conditioned for operation. Light shining through thetransparency and through an opening in a plate 57 renders the slidesmounted in the display rack visible through the magnifying window 8, oneat a time in sequence. In one instance, each slide is visible forapproximately tive seconds.

The customer thus observing the slides selects the one that he desiresto purchase and then operates the manual switch 4 to the numbercorresponding to the number of the selected slide'. He then inserts aquarter in the coin chute 6 to initiate a dispensing operation of theslide.

The coin thus deposited is conveyed into the coin mechanism 60 and ifacceptable thereto trips the machine to initiate a dispensing operationand falls into the coin receptacle 61. The details 0f the coin mechanism60 form no part of the present invention since suitable mechanisms arereadily available upon the open market.

As will be seen in FIG. 7, closing of the contacts 62 by the coinpassing through the mechanism 60 closes a circuit from AC1 through thenormally closed C springs in the eight cam spring assemblies, of which43 is an example, through the winding of the relay R to AC2, operatingthis relay. At its springs RA, relay R closes an auxiliary circuit foritself to maintain the relay operated independently of the springs 62which are operated but momentarily. At its B contacts, the relay opensthe obvious circuit of the coin mechanism magnet CM, permitting thatmagnet to restore, thereby to insert a deector 63 into the chute 6 tocause a second coin inserted in the machine before the dispensing cycleis completed to be returned through the coin return 7.

At its make contacts RC, the relay closes a circuit through the switch 4assumed to be positioned to select slide 1, thence through the windingof the motor M1 to operate that motor. Upon operating the motor rotatesthe cam 26, moving the springs out of the valley 42 into engagement withthe dwell of the cam, thereby to move the A springs of the springassembly 43 into engagement to close the obvious alternate circuit forthe motor M1; thus operation of the motor continues until the springsare again registered with a valley 42 in the cam. At the B springs, apoint in the circuit of the coin mechanism magnet CM is opened toprevent reoperation of that magnet so long as the motor is in operation.At the C springs, the circuit of relay R is opened, permitting thatrelay to restore thereby insuring that the motor will stop when itscircuit is opened by the opening of the A springs.

Since there are two valleys 42 in each of the cams, the motor willoperate the disk 26 through 180. This movement actuates the rod 27thereby to rotate the cage through 45 bringing the bottom slide intoregistration with the opening 35, permitting that slide to drop throughthis opening onto the dispensing chute from which the customer removesit. This rotation of the cage brings the next slide into engagement withthe base plate 10 in readiness for thc next operation of that cage.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that in order to obtain adesired slide, all the customer has to do is operate the manual switchto the position corresponding to the number of that slide and to inserta coin in the coin chute of the machine. The operation from there on isentirely automatic and thoroughly reliable since the mechanism is suchas t0 be inherently properly adjusted.

Photographic slide transparencies mounted in cardboard are so thin thatcross-stacking thereof is necessary to insure dispensing the slides oneat a time. In case the articles to be dispensed are somewhat thicker,such as, for example, photographic slide transparencies mounted inplastic, cross-stacking of the slides is not necessary.

In FIGS. 8 to ll, inclusive, I have shown a modification of my inventionarranged to dispense such thicker square articles. In this modificationthe base plate contains a square opening 71 as before, and a cageindicated generally at 72 is mounted upon the base 70 with the base 73of the cage supported slightly above the base plate 70. Upstanding fromthe base 73 are four angles 74 positioned to support the articles 75stacked with their edges in alignment. The base '73 contains an arcuateslot 76 through which the end of the dispensing rod, such as 27 forexample, may project.

Mounted upon the base plate 'i0 and below the base '73 of the case is adispensing disk 77 the thickness of which is slightly less than thethickness of the article to be dispensed. The dispensing disk 77contains superimposed square Vopenings 78 disposed 45 from each otherand the end of the dispensing rod, such as 27, is registered in aperforation 79 in the disk.

It will be noted that the perforation in the base 73 is disposed 45 outof alignment with the opening 71 in the base plate. The bottom articlewhich is within the dispensing disk is therefore 45 out of alignmentwith the opening 71 and is resting upon the base plate 70. During adispensing operation as above explained, the disk 77 is rotated through45 and the bottom article therein thus brought into registration withthe opening 71 through which the article drops onto the chute 5 leadingout of the machine. This 45 rotation of dispensing disk registers thenext article with the other square opening in the disk, permitting thatarticle to drop into the disk in readiness for the next dispensingoperation.

The teachings of my invention will also be applied to machines fordispensing rectangular or other shaped articles that have a longitudinalaxis that is longer than the transverse axis of the article. In FIGS.12, 13 and 14, I have shown arrangements for dispensing such articles.The base plate 80 contains an opening 81 shaped to receive the article,and the dispensing disk 82 contains an opening 83 similarly shaped. Thearticles to be dispensed are stacked in a cage not shown, since thatcage corresponds to the cage shown in FIG. except for the shape of theopening in the base thereof. The cage is located so that the articlesstacked therein with their edges in alignment, register with thedispensing disk opening 83 in the position in which it is shown in FIG.l2. This dispensing disk contains a perforation 84 into which anoperating rod, such as 85, FIG. 14, is registered. The cam disk 86 inthis embodiment of the invention is provided with a single valley 87with which the spring assembly 88 is registered when the disk is atrest. Dispensing the article is initiated as before and the disk 86 isrotated by the motor through 360. The irst half revolution moves the rod85 upwardly, as seen in FIG. 14, thereby to rotate the dispensing disk82 counterclockwise through 45 to bring the article in the opening 83therein into registration with the opening 81 in the base plate 80. Thearticle falls through this opening. The remaining articles in the stackare supported upon the dispensing disk 82 and during the second halfrevolution of the cam disk 86 the dispensing disk 82 is rotatedclockwise, as seen in FIG. 12, to register the opening 83 therein withthe bottom article in the stack. When the disk 86 approaches 360 ofrevolution, valley 87 is moved into registration with springs 88 and thecircuit of the motor is thereby opened.

It will be noted in FIG. 6 that the rod 27 is connected to disk 26 atsuch a point that longitudinal movement of the rod at a minimum perdegree of rotation of the disk as the valley 42 moves into registrationwith the spring assembly. As will be seen in FIG. 14, rod 85 issimilarly connected to the disk 86. Through this arrangement, desiredalignment of the dispensing disks is not aiected by slight coasting ofthe motor after the circuit through it has' been opened. Through thisarrangement dispensing disk 82 is maintained in dispensing position longenough to insure that the article will fall through opening 81 eventhough the motor continues to operate and disk 86 continues to rotate.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that the coin operated vendingmachine of my invention is of simple construction that can bemanufactured at low cost, without sacrificing quality. Since the machinelacks ratchets, pawls and the like, which must be maintained in propermechanical adjustment to insure proper operation of the machine, it isthoroughly reliable and capable of being maintained in proper operatingcondition by relatively inexperienced service men. Customers desiring topurchase an article from the machine are required to perform only twooperations to`select and dispense an article.

Throughout the foregoing description and in the drawings, the machinehas been described and shown as containing eight ditferent articlecages. The teachings of the invention are not limited to any particularnumber of different cages since by providing a cage and motor for eachdifferent article and a contact point in the manual switch for eachmotor, any number of diierent articles can be dispensed by the machine.Throughout the description photographic slide transparencies have beendescribed as the articles, and while such application of the machine iscontemplated the teachings thereof are by no means limited toapplication in machines for dispensing slide transparencies, andapplication to the dispensing of other articles is contemplated.

While I have chosen to illustrate my invention by showing and describinga preferred embodiment of it, I have done so by way of example only, asthere are many modications and adaptations which can be made by oneskilled in the art within the teachings of the invention.

Having thus complied with the statutes and shown and described apreferred embodiment of my invention, what I consider new and desire tohave protected by Letters Patent is pointed out in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

l. An article vendin g machine comprising:

(1) a plurality of cages each rotatable around its own axis;

(2) a plurality of square articles to be dispensed in each cage disposedtherein, with each article turned 45 With respect to the articlesadjacent to it;

l, (3) base plate means upon which said cages are mounted, said meanscontaining an opening beneath each cage, which openings are shaped toconform to the shape and size of the articles;

(4) means including a motor individual to each cage for rotating .thecage through an are of 45;

(5 a manually operable switch for 4selecting said motors one at a timeby preparing a circuit to the selected motor;

(6) a relay common to said motors and operable to close the motorcircuit prepared by said selector switch;

(7) a coin chute mechanism common to said motors;

(8) and a circuit for said relay closed by the pas sage of a cointhrough said coin mechanism to operate .the relay and thereby close theprepared circuit to the selected motor over which circuit that motoroperates to rotate the cage and thereby register the bottom article withthe opening in the base plate means thereby to dispense that article.

2. An article vending machine comprising:

(l) a plurality of cages;

(2) a plurality of square articles to be dispensed in each cage, each ofwhich articles is aligned with the articles adjacent to it;

(3) base plate means containing an opening for each cage, which openingsare shaped to conform to the shape and size of the articles;

(4) a dispensing disk for each cage, rotatably mounted upon said baseplate means and containing two openings each shaped to conform to theshape and size of the articles, which openings are superimposed and oset4,15 with respect to each other in the plane of the disk;

(5) means for supporting said cages on said base plate means with thearticles therein aligned with the opening in the disk that is offset 45from the opening in the base plate means, into which disk opening thebottom article in Ithe cage is positioned;

(6) means including a motor for each disk for rotating that disk throughan arc of 45 (7) a manually operable switch for selecting said motorsone at a time by preparing a circuit to the selected motor;

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS665,152 wheeler Jan. 1, 1901 15 Thrasher Feb. 18, Morrison Nov. 24,Clawson Dec. 31, Du Grenier Nov. 8, Solinski Jan. 15, Andrews et al.Feb. 6, Sadler Dec. 16, Krasney Apr. 2'8, Gore June 16, Helsing Sept.15, Radcliffe Cet. 18,

FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain of Great Britain Feb. 23,

1. AN ARTICLE VENDING MACHINE COMPRISING: (1) A PLURALITY OF CAGES EACHROTATABLE AROUND ITS OWN AXIS; (2) A PLURALITY OF SQUARE ARTICLES TO BEDISPENSED IN EACH CAGE DISPOSED THEREIN, WITH EACH ARTICLE TURNED 45*WITH RESPECT TO THE ARTICLES ADJACENT TO IT; (3) BASE PLATE MEANS UPONWHICH SAID CAGES ARE MOUNTED, SAID MEANS CONTAINING AN OPENING BENEATHEACH CAGE, WHICH OPENINGS ARE SHAPED TO CONFORM TO THE SPAPE AND SIZE OFTHE ARTICLES; (4) MEANS INCLUDING A MOTOR INDIVIDUAL TO EACH CAGE FORROTATING THE CAGE THROUGH AN ARC OF 45*; (5) A MANUALLY OPERABLE SWITCHFOR SELECTING SAID MOTORS ONE AT A TIME BY PREPARING A CIRCUIT TO THESELECTED MOTOR; (6) A RELAY COMMON SAID MOTORS AND OPERABLE TO